XSA-107 Iberian Art and Design: Interdisciplinar

0 Credits

This interdisciplinary course fosters firsthand engagement with the art and design of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) at multiple scales, from tile patterns to art installations and from handrail details to urban interventions. A general introduction to Iberian art and design leads to on-site learning in the northwest region of the peninsula, one anchored by the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela and the Portuguese City of Porto. This southwestcorner of Europe was the finis terrae or end of the earth of the Roman Empire and still maintains ancient festival and food traditions that, together with breathtaking landscapes, provide a culturally rich backdrop for the course. The region is also home to some of the most forward-thinking contemporary art and design work that emerged with might and main after dictatorships that lasted most of the twentieth century, providing students the opportunity tostudy the work of modern artists and designers in a socio-political context. Art and design students have the opportunity to do interdisciplinary work in a region of Europe where the very old and the very new meet in remarkable ways. All students conclude their coursework with a recorded presentation ofthe documentation of sites visited.